The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament

by G. K. Beale; Benjamin Gladd

Publisher:

IVP Academic

, 2020

Overview

New Testament introductions tend to fall into two categories: those that emphasize the history behind the text through discussions of authorship, dating, and audience, and those that explore the content of the text itself. Few introductions have integrated the Old Testament into their discussions, and fewer still are those that rely on the grand narrative of the Old Testament.

But the New Testament was not written within a vacuum. Rather, it stands in continuity with the Old Testament. Israel’s story is the church’s story.

In The Story Retold, G. K. Beale and Benjamin L. Gladd explore each New Testament book in light of the broad history of redemption, emphasizing the biblical-theological themes of each New Testament book. Their distinctive approach will encourage readers to read the New Testament in light of the Old, not as a new story but as a story retold.

Key Features

• Highlights the continuity between the Old and New Testaments
• Emphasizes the biblical-theological themes of each New Testament book
• Explores the New Testament in light of the broad history of redemption

Contents

• Preface
• The Storyline of the Bible
• The Use of the Old Testament in the New
• Introduction to the Gospels
• The Gospel of Matthew
• The Gospel of Mark
• The Gospel of Luke
• The Gospel of John
• Acts
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians and Philemon
• 1–2 Thessalonians
• Pastoral Epistles
• Hebrews
• James
• 1 Peter
• 2 Peter and Jude
• 1–3 John
• Revelation

Top Highlights

“This use underscores the reaffirmation of the authority of an Old Testament statement.” (Page 28)

“In a word, the Spirit binds the person of Jesus to the covenant community on earth.” (Page 146)

“God’s judgment at Babel is finally reversed at Pentecost: representatives from the scattered nations find true harmony by the power of the Spirit in Jerusalem.” (Page 159)

“‘The heart of the gospel is what God has done in Jesus, supremely in his death and resurrection.’” (Page 31)

“A priest is a servant of God—one who ministers before his presence and mediates it to others” (Page 6)

Praise for the Print Edition

Often students find New Testament introductions to be off-putting as they rehearse in detail the historical circumstances and scholarly theories and debates about each book in the New Testament. Beale and Gladd have written a book that is refreshingly different. They do not ignore historical questions but examine them briefly and concisely. The heart and soul of the book investigates the content of each writing in the New Testament in light of the Old Testament witness, considering the use of the Old Testament which informs the New Testament. Students will not only learn the contents of each New Testament book but they are also treated to a mini-New Testament theology. Students, professors, pastors, and all those who study the Scriptures will often turn to this invaluable resource.

—Thomas Schreiner, associate dean and James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

With its special focus on biblical theology, this innovative and attractively presented new work by Benjamin Gladd and G. K. Beale should work well in the classroom. While not a conventional New Testament introduction, The Story Retold promises to be a helpful resource by introducing each New Testament book in light of the Old Testament against a redemptive-historical backdrop. Well done!

—Andreas J. Köstenberger, founder of Biblical Foundations, research professor of New Testament and biblical theology, director of the Center for Biblical Studies, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Biblical illiteracy is perhaps one of the greatest weaknesses of the global church today. Those of us with the vocation of teaching the biblical text to bright and eager university students are given a great responsibility—one rife with eternal consequences. Yet even with the plethora of New Testament textbooks available, the goal of teaching biblical literacy is often still unmet. The triumph of this new textbook is its capacity to teach biblical literature, to explain the New Testament in light of its place within the biblical narrative at-large, without neglecting the first-century historical and cultural backgrounds. The textbook begins where every New Testament author begins: in Genesis 1–3 and with a substantial introduction to the rest of the Old Testament narrative leading up to the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Students journeying through the New Testament are introduced to biblical themes and motifs fulfilled in the New Testament: image of God language, sin and death, temple and presence, exodus and exile, and covenantal promises, to mention just a few. This is a textbook we should all be teaching from, especially if we want our students to be biblically and theologically minded, recognizing Jesus Christ as the New Testament authors did—as the fulfillment of God's long-awaited promise to restore his good creation. In short, it’s a brilliant New Testament introduction and one I look forward to using in my classroom.

—Haley L. Jacob, assistant professor of theology, Whitworth University

Product Details

• Title: The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament
• Authors: G. K. Beale and Benjamin L. Gladd
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2020
• Pages: 528
• Resource Type: Introduction
• Topic: New Testament

About the Authors

G. K. Beale (PhD, Cambridge) is the J. Gresham Machen Chair of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary. He has published many books, including The Temple and the Church’s Mission, We Become What We Worship, Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, and commentaries on 1-2 Thessalonians and Revelation.

Benjamin L. Gladd (PhD, Wheaton) is associate professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary and series editor for Essential Studies in Biblical Theology. His publications include Hidden But Now Revealed, Making All Things New, and The Story Retold.